Estimating individual rates of discount: a meta-analysis

Percoco, Marco; Nijkamp, Peter

doi:10.1080/13504850701367189

“…First, even if it time preference does influence BMI, is not clear whether this relationship can help to explain the trend in BMI as opposed to merely the level. Percoco and Nijkamp (2009) and Borghans and Golysten (2006) 3 A related literature examines the link between risk preference and BMI; see, for instance, Anderson and Mellor (2008). 4 Komlos et al (2004) illustrate a time-series relationship between obesity and both the savings rate and debt-to-income ratio in the US, and also show that developed countries with low savings rates have higher obesity rates.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impatience, Incentives, and Obesity

Courtemanche

¹

,

Heutel

²

,

McAlvanah

³

2012

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This article explores the relationship between time preferences, economic incentives and body mass index (BMI). We provide evidence of an interaction effect between time preference and food prices, with cheaper food leading to the largest weight gains among those exhibiting the most impatience. The interaction of changing economic incentives with heterogeneous discounting may help explain why increases in BMI have been concentrated amongst the distribution's right tail. We also model time-inconsistent preferences by computing individuals' quasi-hyperbolic discounting parameters. Both long-run patience and present-bias predict BMI, suggesting obesity is partly attributable to both rational intertemporal tradeoffs and time inconsistency.Obesity, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of at least 30, has become a leading public health concern in the developed world in recent decades.1 The most dramatic rise has occurred in the US, where the obesity rate skyrocketed from 13% in 1960

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“…Unfortunately, the experimental elicitation mechanism itself can contribute to differing measured time discount rates as a meta-analysis study has shown (Percoco and Nijkamp 2009). A comparison of close-ended and open-ended time preference elicitation mechanisms showed that close-ended mechanisms elicit lower mean discount rates, although there is consistency between social and private discount rates and between discount rates and individual traits (van der Pol and Cairns 2002).…”

Section: Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Time preferences and health behaviour: a review

Lawless

¹

,

Drichoutis

²

,

Nayga

³

2013

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In this paper, we review published studies to assess the influence of time preferences on human health behaviour. Our review indicates that elicited discount rates for health have been found to be higher than those for money in both the social and private context. We discuss the importance of discount rates for public policy since high time discount rates can contribute to governmental emphasis on acute health care, rather than preventive health care. We then examine how time preferences interrelate with specific health concerns such as smoking or obesity. We find that even when time preferences are elicited in the monetary domain, they can be successful in predicting smoking cessation and likewise for obesity. We also discuss how time preferences relate with teen risk taking behavior. JEL codes: D91, I0

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“…First, even if time preference does influence BMI, it is not clear whether this relationship can help to explain the trend in BMI as opposed to merely the level, as there is a lack of evidence that time preferences have changed as obesity has been rising. In a meta‐analysis of experimental and field studies on time preferences published from 1978–2002, Percoco and Nijkamp () find no evidence of changing time preferences. Borghans and Golsteyn () examine trends in some of their proxy variables for time preference and find no evidence that individuals have become systematically less patient.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Impatience, Incentives and Obesity

Courtemanche

¹

,

Heutel

²

,

McAlvanah

³

2014

Econ J

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This article explores the relationship between time preferences, economic incentives and body mass index (BMI). We provide evidence of an interaction effect between time preference and food prices, with cheaper food leading to the largest weight gains among those exhibiting the most impatience. The interaction of changing economic incentives with heterogeneous discounting may help explain why increases in BMI have been concentrated amongst the distribution's right tail. We also model time-inconsistent preferences by computing individuals' quasi-hyperbolic discounting parameters. Both long-run patience and present-bias predict BMI, suggesting obesity is partly attributable to both rational intertemporal tradeoffs and time inconsistency.Obesity, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of at least 30, has become a leading public health concern in the developed world in recent decades.1 The most dramatic rise has occurred in the US, where the obesity rate skyrocketed from 13% in 1960

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Estimating individual rates of discount: a meta-analysis

Cited by 19 publications

References 44 publications

Impatience, Incentives, and Obesity

Impatience, Incentives, and Obesity

Time preferences and health behaviour: a review

Impatience, Incentives and Obesity

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